Boehner: ‘It’s disgraceful’ military families denied death benefits

On Tuesday Congressmen expressed their outrage and frustration with the government shutdown, which has prevented military families from receiving their death benefits. The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee says lawmakers will fix this Wednesday. NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell reports.

Obama Signs Suicide Prevention Act Into Law

White House to Lay Out Military Plan for ISIS

Pentagon: Despite Claim U.S. Not Communicating With Assad Regime

This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>> reporter: this is kelly o'donnell on
capitol hill
where there is outrage.

>>i am ashamed, embarrassed, we all should be.

>> reporter: as congress deals with the unexpected casualty of the
government shutdown
.

>>i would hate to look those families in the eye and say well, yeah, this is all because democrats and republicans can't agree.

>> reporter: outside the capitol, illinois democrat,
tammy duckworth
, the first disabled veteran elected to congress knows the hardship. do you feel it in a way that maybe your colleagues don't?

>>yeah, i feel it in my gut, i know exactly what the families are going through. i know just what it is like to get that
phone call
from the army assistance department, because my family got that call.

>> reporter: they were allowed money for burial costs, it caught the attention of the majority leader
harry reid
.

>>does not allow the death benefits for the families of the fallen, officials told
andrea mitchell
of nbc.

>> reporter: word spread in the house republican's morning meeting. the
south carolina
congressman
mark sanford
. how is a death benefit held back in the time of shutdown?

>>it is wrong and it will be fixed.

>> reporter: late today i asked the
house speaker
. can you tell us please what you would say to military families just denied the benefits due to the shutdown? boehner said they believed that all military families were protected with their paychecks last week, when the government signed and promised to pay, through the military act.

>>we give broad authority through the
department of defense
to pay all sorts of bills, including this, and frankly i think it is disgraceful that they're withholding these benefits.

>> reporter: the chairman that runs the
armed services committee
says that lawmakers will fix this tomorrow.

>>they will get their benefits.

>> reporter: can you promise that?

>>i promise that. there is no question they will get their benefits.

>> reporter: tonight, pentagon lawyers say they simply disagreed with the speaker and lawmakers and learned that the
department of defense
didn't have the authority to pay these benefits now. tonight, senators from both parties have written to secretary hagel, and tomorrow they are expected to pass a bill that would protect the benefits right away.